6 Easy Ways to Get the Perfect Beachy Waves

Beachy waves are universally adored by celebrities — Blake Lively, Lauren Conrad, Chrissy Teigen, to name a few — and real women alike. But if you think the idea of mastering those perfectly loose curls sounds more than a little daunting, rest assured that these tutorials make it oh-so-simple to pull off the popular summer look ... no beach trip required. Bonus: They all take less than 10 minutes. Double bonus: Some don't even require a curling iron or hair straightener!

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1Curling Wand and Ponytail: 10 Minutes

A key feature of beachy waves is that they begin about halfway down your hair — which makes pulling hair into a ponytail and curling just the tied section with a curling wand — like the Bed Head Curlipops Curling Wand ($20, amazon.com) — the perfect method. Plus, it's easier to keep track of which pieces you've curled (versus those you haven't) when your strands are gathered in one place.

2Air Dry: 3 Minutes

If you're all about that low-maintenance hair routine, you're probably no stranger to the good, ol' air dry. With a few strategically placed buns (two at the nape of your neck!), you can air dry your way to a Malibu look. Just twist, pin, and wait it out. That's it. Try it with a styling product made to enhance your air-dried strands, like Living Proof Perfect Hair Day In-Shower Styler ($25, sephora.com).

3Flat Iron and Twists: 2 Minutes

If you can't get enough of your flat iron already, here's yet another reason to love it: All you need for this tutorial is a couple minutes, a sea salt spray, and a hair straightener. Just two long twists, carefully flat ironed, give you a style that is ready in no time. Don't have a favorite flat iron yet? Choose from one of our top picks.

4Small Barrel Curler: 5 Minutes

You've probably been told that if you want small, tight curls, you should use a thinner curling iron, and if you want large waves, you should use a large barrel curler, right? Well, YouTube beauty guru Luxy Hair is about to blow your mind. As she demonstrates, if you use a small barrel curling iron — like the Conair Double Ceramic Curling Iron ($17, amazon.com) — and break up your hair into large sections, you can quickly and efficiently curl all of your hair into large waves. Incredible!

5Curling Iron: 5 Minutes

Getting beach waves in short hair can be trickier than with long hair. Still, this very easy beach waves tutorial is easy to follow and takes less than 10 minutes, making it a perfect option for any day of the week.

6Flat Iron: 10 Minutes

As with the first tutorial on this list, this trick incorporates a flat iron (try one of our faves!) into the mix — a choice that, as YouTube beauty vlogger HeyKali says, makes the waves extra shiny. If you have thick, long hair, this tutorial might take longer than the others, but your waves will be totally worth it. Just make sure your flat iron is facing down to the floor rather than horizontally.

Sam EscobarContributorSam's enthusiasm for makeup is only rivaled by their love of all things relating to cats.

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